As Time Passes, Insiders Think it Increasingly Unlikely the Governor Can Bounce Back from the Flint Water Crisis

Thursday, April 28, 2016 - Lansing, MI - As the Flint water crisis carries into May, political insiders across the state increasingly feel that Governor Snyder’s ultimate legacy will be irreparably damaged by the ongoing situation.

In an emailed survey from April 14-15, 100 of Michigan’s political insiders and pundits were asked: "Knowing what we know now about the water situation in Flint, what will Rick Snyder's legacy be?"

The results are not good for the governor.

60 percent think Governor Snyder’s ultimate legacy will be “weak” or “pretty bad.” Only 2 percent of those responding think his legacy will be “strong,” and 34 percent think his legacy will be “decent.”

The Pundits were asked the same question in the Pundit Poll’s inaugural survey in February, and it's clear that as time passes they are becoming less optimistic about Snyder's lasting legacy. Those who think his legacy will be "positive" or "decent" has fallen by 10 percentage points since February. At the same time, Pundits who feel his legacy will be "weak" or "pretty bad" has increased by 10 percentage points.

The Pundit Poll is a new survey on the latest political news and issues in Michigan. The survey uses emails to collect the compiled and confidential responses from political strategists, consultants, and insiders across Michigan, with the goal of offering an insider’s look at the political issues facing the state. A full list of the nearly 100 pundits in the poll can be found here.

Methodology:This was a Resch Strategies/Denno Research survey of Michigan political experts, pundits, and members of the media. 100 respondents were invited and 82 responded. The survey was emailed Thursday, April 14 and the survey was closed Friday, April 15, 2016.